Saturday, February 4, 2017

Is Vipassana meditation a fast track to liberation?* Part III

In order to achieve the
objectives of Vipassana meditation, a student should follow the terms and
conditions of the course.

There are five important precepts
included in the Code of Discipline for new students:

1.To abstain from killing any being.

2.To abstain from stealing.

3.To abstain from all sexual activity.

4.To abstain from telling lies.

5.To abstain from all intoxicants.

In addition to the Code
of Discipline, a student is expected to accept a teacher (or assistant
teacher), the Vipassana technique, and execute all other meditation techniques,
rites, and/or any form of worship. Religious objects, crystals, and talismans
are strictly prohibited during the course, as well as any form of intoxicants
and drugs.

Clothes worn during the
meditation should be clean, modest, and comfortable. Music, reading, and
writing are not permitted.

Meditation hall

All students must observe
Noble Silence. The Nobel Silence has been invented in accordance to prevent
telling lies. The Noble Silence will be started at the end of zero day and ends
at the afternoon of day ten. During this time you will have a right to
communicate with teacher (or assistant teacher) during two periods per day. In
the case of questions concerning practical issues, you will have the
opportunity to make a written request and leave it in the appropriate place.
The usage of cell phone, Tablet PC, laptops is strictly prohibited.

The Noble Silence is not
as awful as it might seem. In fact, it helps to save your energy for concentration
on the training.

Costs

The Vipassana meditation
courses, accommodations, and food are free of charge. A small expense fund is
required if you are going to outsource your laundry or purchase bottled water
or juice.

Vipassana courses depend
on voluntary donations from the people who have attended the course. You can
use donation boxes for donations in smaller amounts of money, or deliver a donation
to administrator who will be on the premises on the last day of the
training.

I advise you to ask for a
receipt for your donation and prepare a printed visit card with your name
and email address, because he might tell you that he will send the receipt by
email. Ask him when he will be able
to send the receipt and take his personal telephone number to call him in case
he forgets to do it.

Constraints

The most critical for me
was the first day of the course. I choose the Vipassana meditation center close
to Pushkar, Rajasthan State, and attended the course at the end of September.

I wasn’t used to the heat
at over +35 degrees C (+95 degrees F) overall, and especially in the premises without
air conditioning. The temperature one degree higher would make impossible for
me to continue the training.

Another huge constraint for me was long hours
sitting in the meditation postures. I used to stay in meditation postures for
30 minutes or so, but a 12-hour training session at the Vipassana felt like torture.

So, to be able to successfully succeed in a Vipassana course, it’s essential to start preparation for it as early as possible, at least one-month prior.

*Note: This article
is based on my personal experience and thoughts after my first 10-day
meditation course of Vipassana, and is not presented to be an absolute truth. –
Jacklyn A. Lo, Author of Redemption novel, http://rbjal.com/

Next article will tell about practical advices and where to go for
retreat.